Ironer



July 7, 1942. R. s. BRADLEY IRONER Filed July l.l 1939 Patented July 7, 1942 4UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 1, llllo. 282,348

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an ironer and one including an ironing roll and an adjacent ironing shoe structure.

In structures of this generalclass, it is-to be understood the roll may be suitably heated and is suitably rotated. 'It is also to be understood that the shoe is heated and has an inner and ironing surface conformation that conforms to the roll and nests a*portion thereof when the two are associated together for ironing purposes. Allthree of these types of operations are equivalents and are well known in the` art, although certain of them `have advantages, to wit,\the shoe by treadle action may be caused to move into ironing position more readily than the roll because the rotating roll, if it be moved, requires additional mechanism and arrangement over and above that required to move the roll, to wit, flexible connections to the motive means for rotating the roll and to the heating means for Another object of the invention is to so arrange the presteaming structure that presteaming of the article only is insured and the hands of the operator are protected.

Another object of the invention is to insure that steam and steam only is supplied to the article immediately prior to ironing of the same.

One chief feature of the invention consists in providing a unitary shoe structure whereby the aforesaid objects are accomplished.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a control for the steam supply to the shoe whereby steam will'be automatically supplied thereto wheneverthe shoe and roll are in ironing relation and steam will not be supplied thereto when the parts are lnot in said relation.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter, such as` the steam superheating feature.

'I'he full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

In the drawing Fig. 1 is an end elevation, somewhat diagrammatic in form, of an ironer embodying the invention, the roll and shoe being shown in the non-steaming and non-ironing position. 55

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same, the parts being shown in the steaming and ironing position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the ironing shoe.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the automatic valve structure controlling the steam supply to the steaming portion of the shoe.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 3 and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and of a modifled form of shoe arrangement and especially the presteaming portion thereof.

Fig. 7 is an end view of a modified form of ironing and steaming shoe.

In Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, there is more or less diagrammatically illustrated the general form of ironer embodying the invention. Herein the numeral I0 indicates a shaft structure on which is mounted an ironing roll I I suitably padded as at I2. This roll structure is of cylindrical character as shown.

Adjacent thereto as an arcuately outlined shoe structure indicated generally by the numeral I3 and having an inner arcuate ironing face I4 which is substantially smooth and of polished metal. The shoe structure is provided with a pair of ears I5 which are pivotally supported as at I6 upon a standard structure Il. This standard structure, for example, may b`e suitably pivoted at its lower end and associated with a treadle so that it is caused to move from the` position shown in Fig. 1 to the Fig. 2. This, nests the roll in the shoe.

Upon examining Fig. 2. it will be noted if an article is fed in at the top, as indicated by the 'arrow and the letter A, the shoe will tilt slightly clockwise upon the pivot I6 and this will bring the lower end I3a of theshoe closer to the roll and space the forward and upper end I8 of the shoe farther away from the roll. Rotation of the roll will carry the article clockwise and discharge the same at'the end I3a ofthe shoe and in a dry and ironed condition The mouth arrangement at A is somewhat wedge-shape in appearance and the roll is nested substantially in the shoe in initial position for article reception as well as when ironing the article.

Reference now will be had to Figs. 3 and 5. In said figures the inside face of the shoe, indicated by the numeral I4, is offset at its forward portion as at I9 and the surface is continued as indicated at 20. The forward end thereof may be rounded as indicated at I8. l

Extending longitudinally along the shoe and near the forward edge thereof and within the position shown in heating portion.

- priately outlined steam chamber 2| at 35.

shoe, is the chamber 2| and herein the chamber 2| discharges steam by means of ports 22 toward the roll. Herein. also preferably, the ports 22 are directed so as to discharge toward'the ironing portion I4 of the shoe and thus away from the entrance or receiving portion of the shoe.

Within the ironing portion of the shoe, there is provided a suitable heating ararngement, and herein the same is indicated generally by the numeral 23. It is substantially coincident with the It is suitably insulated from the ironing surface by a relatively thin layer of asbestos 24. 'I'hls heating element also is insulated from the outer cover portion 25 as by rockwool and asbestos insulation 26, the wool being provided to force the heat created by the heating element 23, to the ironing surface i4 for a continuous supply of heat thereto for ironing purposes. A terminal structure 21 is conventionally indicated and illustrated in Fig. 3. In other words, the heating element may be of electrical character. It may be, if desired, of other charl acter.

Herein-see Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive-a steam supply line 28 is connected at one end to a regulating valve 28 and this regulating valve controls the supply of steam to the two branches 30, each of which extends oppositely from the valve and toward the adjacent end of the shoe and then reverses at 3l and continues as the extended portion 32 approximately parallel to the portion 33 and then adjacent the valve 29 as at 33 is di rected'forwardly as at 34 and enters the appro- 'Ihe purpose of this positioning of the respective conduit portions 30, 3|, 32, 33 and 34 is to utilize heat that normally escapes through the insulation 26 and to the cover portion 25 for superheating the steam supplied by line 28.

Reference now will be had more particularly to Figs. l, 2 and 3. In said ilgures the numeral 36 indicates a line which is connected to a source of steam supply. Mounted on the arm upright or standard I1 is a valve structure. It includes a housing 31 in the form of a cylinder and mounted therein is a piston 36.

The head of the cylinder is apertured as a't 38 to receive a packing structure 48 that surrounds and slidably supports and seals a stem 4| which within the cylinder mounts the piston 38. The

cylinder is provided with the passages 36h formed in the extension 36a to which the conduit or supply line 36 is connected, and the passage 28h in the portion 28a to which the conduit 28 is connected. The piston 38 is normally constrained by the spring 42 to a position wherein it prevents communication between ports 36h and 28b so that when positioned as shown in Fig. 4, and this corresponds to the position of the parts shown in Fig. 1, steam is not supplied to the shoe. The spring 42 is retained in the cylinder vby means of the member 43. As stated, the cylinder 31 is suitably supported by the standard structure I1., it being understood this usually is a pair of standards or uprights spaced apart and the valve arrangement therefor is positioned therebetween.

The shoe adjacent the portion. |3a is provided with a lug structure 44 and the same is recessed as at 44a to nest one end of the spring 45. 'Ihe other end of the spring is nested as at 46a by a member 46 carried by the stem 4| as at 41 and secured thereto by the nut 48.

When the shoe and roll approach each other,

assegna shown in Fig. 8 -so that ports or .passages 36h and 28h communicate with each other through the cylinder, thus supplying steam from the source of steam supply to the shoe. In other words, only during the ironing operation is the shoe supplied with steam.

Interposed between the steam supply and the control valve structure, shown in Fig. 4. there may be included, as is common in the lndustry, a water or moisture separator so that substantially dry steam is supplied to the valve. Such a moisture or water separator would be connected to line 36 and then the separator would be connected to the steam supply. Since inclusion of such a separator is old and notorious in the art, illustration thereof is intentionally omitted for the invention disclosed is concerned with that which is downstream of line 36, to wit: valve 31, line 28, etc. Therefore, dry steam is superheated by the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 by means of heat derived from the h ating means for heating the ironing surface of tl'n hoe.

In the several figures, lt will be noted that a suitable guard structure 50 is suitably secured at spaced portions 5I to the forward end' I8 of the shoe. This connection preferably is of heat insulating character and the guard structure may be relatively rigid, although it may be of semiflexible character. It insures that the operator's lingers engage said guard structure in the operation of the machine prior to being accidentally fed into the machine between the roll and the shoe, thereby warning the operator to remove the hands from the vicinity of the intake or receiving portion of the ironer.

As previously pointed out, preferably the ports 22 are directed rearwardly-that is, toward the ironing surface I4-so that, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 and indicated by the letter B therein, the steam supplied to the article prior to ironing is directed away from the operators hands.

From the foregoing, therefore, it is apparent that the portion 20 is spaced from the roll so that as the articles are fed in between the roll and the shoe, said articles will continuously receive a supply of dry steam, thus steaming or preconditioning the article to be ironed. 'I'he steamed article then passes to the ironing portion and it is ironed dry so that when it leaves the cooperating ironing portions at the end 3a of the shoe, the article is dry and is fully ironed.

The relief arrangement shown in the drawing and provided by reason of the oisettingof the steaming portion of the shoe also has another advantage in that it permits the article to be straightened while supported on the roll and while in juxtaposition to the shoe but prior to actual contact with the shoe for ironing. It will be observed also that substantially half of the roll surface in effect is an ironing surface, see more particularly Fig. 2.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a modified form of the receiving and presteaming portion of the shoe. Numerals of the one hundred series indicate like or comparable parts. In this form, it will be observed that the immediate forward end of the steaming portion, as indicated at |00, is coincident as it were, with an arc that includes the ironing surface ||4 and that the steaming portion |28 is offset therefrom, as indicated at H8 and IISa, forming, as it were, an offset steaming space, steam being supplied by the rearwardly directed ports |22 discharging from the the valve 38 is caused to move from the position 75 chamber I2|.

This form has certain advantages, while the form shown in Fig. has certain advantages. With the form shown in Fig. 6 the forward portion |00 serves as a positive guard to prevent steam escaping and also serves as a gauge to indicate to the operator whether or not too much of the article, so far as thickness is concerned, is being supplied thereto for ironing.

It will be apparent if the shoe shown in Fig. 6 is juxtapositioned relative to the roll, as shown in Fig. 2, and with the article included therebetween, that the escape of steam forwardly for contact with the hands of the operator is substantially prevented. To positively insure such absence of contact or exposure to steam, as stated, the ports |22 may also be rearwardly directed but this is not in thisform of the invention essential.

As shown in Fig. 3, there is provided a pair of conduits 60 each communicating at one end with the adjacent steam chest 2|. The valve 29 is of three-way character and controls the opposite ends. This valve may be entirely closed to prevent steam supply yto the chests 2|, positioned to connect line 28 to lines 30 for supplying the chests with superheated steam, or positioned to connect lines 60 to line 28 to supply the chests 2| with raw steam. Heavy articles require heavy steaming, others require dry steaming, et cetera.

In Fig. '7 there is illustrated a modified form of shoe structure. Herein 6| indicates the adjacent roll, 62 the adjacent heated ironing portion of the shoe and 63 the steaming portion thereof. Herein portion 6,3 is pivoted on portion 62 in such a manner that it normally moves therewith and assumes the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, the pivotal connection is of such character that when the extended hand guard portion 64 is engaged and held down toward roll 6|, the steaming structure moves closer to the roll so that steam is poured into the garment and since the shoe is pivotedon the uprights i1 at I6, the initial ironing of necessity becomes a pressure ironing or pressing operation, the remainder of the ironing portion 62 of the shoe constituting an ironing smoothing, polishing and drying portion.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawing and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as 'illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as cluding a heating means for maintaining the ironing surface in ironing condition, steam ysupply means discharging to the chamber and juxtapositioned to the heating means for superheating the steam prior to chamber reception, and a forward finger guard carried by the presteaming portion.

2. In an ironer of the character described, a unitary` ironing shoe including, a presteaming vportion and a subsequent ironing portion immediately contiguous thereto, said portions having arcuate work engaging faces. the steaming portion including a plurality of steam discharging ports, means movably connecting the steaming portion to the ironing portion and constraining the steaming portion away from the work, the steaming portion being movable with and carried by the ironing portion, and movable independently of the ironing portion for work engagement, and means carried by the presteaming portion operable in opposition to the constraint. g

3. In an ironer of the character described, a unitary ironing shoe including a presteaming portion and a subsequent ironing portion, the steaming portion including a plurality of steam discharging ports and a steam receiving chamber communicating therewith, the ironing portion including a heating means for maintaining the ironing surface in ironing condition,steam supply means discharging to the chamber and juxtapositioned to the heating means for superheating the steam prior to chamber reception, valve means in the steam supply means ahead of the superheating portion thereof, and other means connecting the steam supply means to the chamber and to the valve for bypassing the supreheating portion, said valve means selectively controlling the steam supply to =said chamber.

RALPH S. BRADLEY. 

